XDSL accommodation apparatus, multicast distribution system, and data distribution method

ABSTRACT

An xDSL accommodation apparatus includes an xDSL interface, exchange switch, and cache server. The xDSL interface interfaces an xDSL (any types of Digital Subscriber Line) to which each of a plurality of clients is connected. The exchange switch exchanges a packet transmitted/received between a content server and a client. The cache server temporarily stores a content received from the content server through a network. The cache server includes a copy/distribution section. The copy/distribution section copies and distributes the stored content to distribute the same content to the plurality of clients. A multicast distribution system and data distribution method are also disclose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an xDSL (any types of DigitalSubscriber Line) accommodation apparatus, multicast distribution system,and data distribution method, which can avoid waste of the band of arelay line used to distribute a live content and reduce the installationcost of live content distribution.

[0002] Along with the recent remarkable development of the Internet, notonly E-mail (Electronic mail) or WWW (World Wide Web) browsers but alsobroadcast-type live content stream distribution services are alsoappearing. This is mainly due to the advent of broadband access meansrepresented by xDSL. However, conventional methods used forbroadcast-type live content stream distribution services for xDSLsubscribers, i.e., a general content download method, a method using IP(Internet Protocol) multicast, and a method of using a splitter have thefollowing problems.

[0003] A conventional distribution system used not only for contentdownload but also for stream distribution will be described withreference to FIG. 10. A Web server 10 individually distributes livecontents having the same contents to a client (A) 80, client (B) 81, andclient (C) 82 as packet data. The live contents are distributed from arouter 20 to the clients 80 to 82 through an IP network 30, BAS(Broadband Access Server) 40, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) accessnetwork 50, xDSL accommodation apparatus 60, and xTU-Rs (any types ofTransmission Unit Remotes) 70, 71, and 72. In this distribution system,the band of the relay line from the router 20 to the BAS 40, ATM accessnetwork 50, and xDSL accommodation apparatus 60 through the IP network30 is wasted.

[0004] In a conventional IP multicast distribution system shown in FIG.11, a router 21 and IP network 31 cope with multicast. A content server11 only needs to transmit a signal packet having an M (multicast)address. In this scheme, the configuration becomes complex because therouter 21 and IP network 31 on the route must cope with multicast. Inaddition, the problem that the band of the relay line up to a BAS 40,ATM access network 50, and xDSL accommodation apparatus 60 is wasted isnot solved.

[0005] In a conventional multicast distribution scheme using a splittershown in FIG. 12, a splitter 90 is arranged in an IP network 30 near aserver 11. Since this splitter 90 copies/distributes a single packet toclients (A) to (C) that are reserved in advance, a router 20 and the IPnetwork 30 need not cope with multicast. In addition, the content server11 only needs to transmit a signal packet having a D address to thesplitter 90. In this scheme, however, the problem that the band of therelay line up to a BAS 40, ATM access network 50, and xDSL accommodationapparatus 60 is wasted is not solved.

[0006] As described above, for the broadcast-type live content streamdistribution services, the methods using IP multicast or a splitter areproposed to reduce wasteful use of the relay line in general streamdistribution. However, both the methods have problems in capitalinvestment and effective use of the relay line.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide an xDSLaccommodation apparatus, multicast distribution system, and datadistribution method, which reduce the load by effectively using the bandof a relay line, thereby reducing capital investment for multicastdistribution.

[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide an xDSLaccommodation apparatus, multicast distribution system, and datadistribution method, which make it possible to bring a new contract formfor broadcast-type live content distribution between a client and abroadcaster.

[0009] In order to achieve the above objects, according to the presentinvention, there is provided an xDSL accommodation apparatus comprisingan xDSL interface which interfaces an xDSL (any types of DigitalSubscriber Line) to which each of a plurality of clients is connected,an exchange switch which exchanges a packet transmitted/received betweena content server and a client, and a cache server which temporarilystores a content received from the content server through a network,wherein the cache server comprises copy/distribution means for copyingand distributing the stored content to distribute the same content tothe plurality of clients.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a view showing the configuration of a multicastdistribution system according to the first embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0011]FIG. 2A is a block diagram of an xDSL accommodation apparatusshown in FIG. 1;

[0012]FIG. 2B is a functional block diagram of a cache server shown inFIG. 2A;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a view showing the data distribution path of themulticast distribution system shown in FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a cache server of a multicastdistribution system according to the second embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0015]FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the data distribution operation ofthe multicast distribution system according to the second embodiment ofthe present invention;

[0016]FIG. 6A is a view showing the data distribution path of themulticast distribution system according to the second embodiment of thepresent invention;

[0017]FIG. 6B is a view showing the cache planes of the cache server;

[0018]FIG. 7A is a view showing the data distribution path of themulticast distribution system according to the second embodiment of thepresent invention;

[0019]FIG. 7B is a view showing the cache planes of the cache server;

[0020]FIG. 8 is a view showing a live content distribution contract formusing the present invention;

[0021]FIG. 9 is a view showing another live content distributioncontract form using the present invention;

[0022]FIG. 10 is view showing a conventional data distribution system;

[0023]FIG. 11 is a view showing a conventional IP multicast distributionsystem; and

[0024]FIG. 12 is a view showing a conventional data distribution systemusing a splitter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] The present invention will be described below in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026]FIG. 1 shows a multicast distribution system according to thefirst embodiment of the present invention. A live content server 11 andclients 80, 81, and 82 are connected through a router 20, IP network 30,BAS 40, ATM access network 50, xDSL accommodation apparatus 61, andxTU-Rs 70, 71, and 72. The live content server 11 transmits a packetaddressed to the xDSL accommodation apparatus 61. The xDSL accommodationapparatus makes copies of the packet as many as the clients andtransmits the copies as packets addressed to the clients 80, 81, and 82.

[0027] An “xDSL accommodation apparatus” means a device whichdistributes data to subscribers through a subscriber line in a digitalsubscriber line system and is generally installed on an xDSL providerside. A “client” means, in subscribers of a digital subscriber line, aperson who receives data distribution using a data distribution systemof the present invention on the basis of, e.g., a contract.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2A, the xDSL accommodation apparatus 61comprises an xDSL line control package 100 and xDSL line interfacepackage 110. The xDSL line control package 100 comprises an ATM switch101 for exchanging a packet transmitted from the BAS 40, a backbone-sideinterface 103, line package interfaces 104, 105, 106, and 107, a cacheserver 120 for temporarily storing a packet transmitted from the livecontent server 11, and a processor 102 for controlling these components.As shown in FIG. 2B, the cache server 120 has a copy/distributionsection 121 which executes a packet copy/distribution function.

[0029] The xDSL line interface package 110 comprises an MUX/DMUX(Multiplex/Demultiplex) 111 for transmitting/receiving a packet to/fromthe xDSL line control package 100, and xDSL line interfaces 112, 113,114, and 115.

[0030] The data distribution operation in the above-described multicastdistribution system will be described next with reference to FIG. 3. Inthis embodiment, the live content provider distributes a content toaddresses registered in advance in the xDSL accommodation apparatusregardless of client requests.

[0031] An ID (identification) management table 123 of contract clientsis stored in the cache server 120 in the xDSL accommodation apparatus 61as the destinations of a packet to be multicast-distributed. In additionto VPI/VCI (Virtual Path Identifier/Virtual Channel Identifier), thelocal PHY (physical) ID and IP address in the apparatus are registeredin advance in the ID management table. An ID is registered by theoperator/manager of the xDSL accommodation apparatus 61 when a clientsubscribes. Alternatively, a contract client makes Web-base serviceprovisioning from his own terminal.

[0032] If the content distribution time is predetermined, the contentserver 11 registers in advance a distribution schedule registrationtable 11 a in which the distribution time is recorded, and automaticallystarts distribution at the registered time in accordance with the table11 a. The content server 11 may start distribution at arbitrary time. Indistributing a content, the content server transmits a packet to theaddress of the cache server 120 in the xDSL accommodation apparatus 61(route R1). The packet transmitted from the content server is receivedby the cache server 120 and buffered into a predetermined region. Thecopy/distribution section 121 in the cache server 120 makes a necessarynumber of copies of the buffered packet, rewrites the destinations ofthe packets to distribution destinations registered in advance, andtransmits the packets (routes R2, R3, and R4).

[0033] According to this embodiment, any wasteful use of the relay linefrom the content server 11 to the ATM switch 101 can be avoided by usingthe copy/distribution function of the cache server 120.

[0034] FIGS. 4 to 7 show a multicast distribution system according tothe second embodiment of the present invention. The overall arrangementof this embodiment is the same as in the first embodiment shown in FIGS.1 and 2, and a description thereof will be omitted. In the secondembodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a cache server 120 has acopy/distribution section 121 which executes a packet copy/distributionfunction and a proxy access section 122 which executes proxy access tocontent servers 11 and 12.

[0035] In this configuration, the proxy access section 122 of the cacheserver 120 executes proxy access to the content servers 11 and 12 on thebasis of connection requests from clients 80 to 82 whereby a livecontent provider distributes a content to the cache server 120, i.e., adestination registered in advance in an xDSL accommodation apparatus 61.In this case, if the connection requests from the clients 80 to 82 arefor the same content as that already received by another client, thecopy/distribution section 121 of the cache server 120 makes copies of apacket and distributes them.

[0036] The operation of the multicast distribution system according tothis embodiment will be described with reference to the flow chart shownin FIG. 5. Pieces of information of contract clients and contractcontent servers are input to the cache server 120 in the xDSLaccommodation apparatus 61 in advance.

[0037] In this state, the xDSL accommodation apparatus 61 determineswhether a packet from a contract client to the outside of the xDSLaccommodation apparatus 61 is received (step S1). If YES in step S1, thexDSL accommodation apparatus 61 checks whether the destination of thepacket is a contract content server (step S2). If NO in step S2, thepacket is transmitted to the outside without any processing (step S3).

[0038] If YES in step S2, the xDSL accommodation apparatus 61 checkswhether another client is already receiving that content (step S4). IfNO in step S4, the transmission source of the packet is rewritten to thecache server 120 by the proxy access section 122 of the cache server120, and the packet is transmitted to the contract content server (stepS5). At this time, the cache server 120 ensures a cache region forreception from the contract content server (step S6). The contractcontent server returns a packet to the cache server 120 as thetransmission source (step S7). The packet received by the cache server120 is written in the cache region ensured in step S6 (step S8).

[0039] The copy/distribution section 121 of the cache server 120 makes acopy of the packet written in the cache region and transmits the packetto the contract client that has transmitted the connection request (stepS9). If YES in step S4, the copy/distribution section 121 of the cacheserver 120 makes a copy of the packet in an already ensured cache regionand distributes the packet without transmitting the packet to thecontract content server.

[0040]FIGS. 6A and 7A show data distribution paths in the secondembodiment. An ID management table 120 a (VPIs/VCIs, local PHYs inapparatuses, IDs, IP addresses, and the like are recorded) of contractclients as the destinations of a packet to be multicast-distributed andan address table 120 b of contract live content servers are registeredin advance in the cache server 120 in the xDSL accommodation apparatus61. These pieces of information are registered by the operator/managerof the xDSL accommodation apparatus 61 when a client subscribes.Alternatively, a contract client makes Web-base service provisioningfrom his own terminal.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 6A, a packet transmitted from a contract clienttemporarily passes through the cache server 120. The cache server 120determines whether the packet is addressed to a contract content server.If the packet is addressed to a contract content server, the cacheserver 120 rewrites the transmission source address to the address ofthe cache server 120 and executes proxy access to the content server.For example, assume that the first client (A) 80 requests streamdistribution of the content server (X) 11 (route R11). In this case,since the transmission source ID is the client (A) 80, the packet istemporarily passed through the cache server 120, and the cache server120 checks the destination address.

[0042] When it is determined that the destination is the contract server(X) 11, the cache server 120 executes proxy access to the content server(X) 11 (route R12). At this time, the cache server 120 assigns a cacheplane for communication with the content server (X) 11. The cache planeis statically assigned when the address table is registered.Alternatively, a free cache plane is dynamically assigned. In thisexample, cache plane #1 shown in FIG. 6B is dynamically assigned. When acache plane is dynamically assigned, operation is possible even when

[number of address tables in content server]≧[number of cache planes]

[0043] Hence, cache planes can efficiently be used.

[0044] When the content server (X) 11 performs stream distribution tothe address of the cache server 120, the packet reaches the cache server120 having an E address through a router 20, IP network 30, BAS 40, ATMaccess network 50, and a backbone-side interface 103 and ATM switch 101in the xDSL accommodation apparatus 61 (route R13) and is buffered incache plane #1 assigned in advance. The cache server 120 makes a copy ofthe content and distributes it to the client (A) 80 (route R14).

[0045] As shown in FIG. 7A, when the client (B) 81 requests streamdistribution of the content server (X) 11 (route R15), the packet istemporarily passed through the cache server 120 because the transmissionsource ID is the client (B) 81, and the cache server 120 checks thedestination address. If it is determined that the destination of thepacket is a contract content server, and it is the content server (X) 11from which a content is being received by the client (A) 80, the cacheserver 120 makes a copy of the content for cache plane #1 anddistributes the content to the client (B) 81 without accessing thecontent server (X) 11 (route R16). In this way, when another clientaccesses the content server (X) 11, the content is copied anddistributed from cache plane #1.

[0046] When the client (C) 82 requests stream distribution of thecontents server (Y) 12 (route R17), and any other clients are receivingno content from the contents server (Y) 12, the cache server 120executes proxy access to the contents server (Y) 12 (route R18). Apacket transmitted from the contents server (Y) 12 is buffered in newlyassigned cache plane #2 shown in FIG. 7B (route R19) and thendistributed to the client (C) 82.

[0047] If another client is receiving the content, the cache server 120distributes data copied from an already assigned cache plane. In thisway, any wasteful use of the relay line can be avoided by using thecopy/distribution function (copy/distribution section 121) and proxyaccess function (proxy access section 122) of the cache server 120.Additionally, a connection request from a client is not wastefully sentto the eternal network of the xDSL provider.

[0048] The third embodiment of the present invention will be describednext. In the first embodiment, a multicast contract client isidentified, and then, a content is distributed. In the third embodiment,a content is distributed to all xDSL subscribers without having anycontract client management table.

[0049] An example of a service that can be supposed in the first andthird embodiments of the present invention is push distribution ofspecific regional information to subscribers connected to a given xDSLaccommodation apparatus. Since the content provider needs to onlydistribute to the xDSL accommodation apparatus the information addressedto a number of subscribers, the traffic load on the relay line from thecontent server to the xDSL accommodation apparatus can be suppressed.

[0050] An example of a service that can be supposed in the secondembodiment of the present invention is a case wherein a number ofclients simultaneously access a content server to see a goal scene inthe World Cup. In the conventional system, the traffic load on both thecontent server and the relay line bursts. In the present invention,however, when the copy/distribution function and proxy access functionof the cache server in the multicast distribution system are used, thetraffic on the content server and relay line can be suppressed. Notethat such a live content may be distributed to a plurality of clientssimultaneously or sequentially in accordance with requested times.

[0051] Examples of contract forms related to the business method usingthe multicast distribution systems of the first to third embodiments ofthe present invention will be described below.

[0052] Contract Form 1:

[0053] A business form in which an xDSL provider makes a live contentdistribution contract (pay or free) with a live content provider by apackage deal, and the xDSL provider provides a distribution service (payor free) to arbitrary contract clients.

[0054] Contract Form 2:

[0055] A business form in which an xDSL provider makes a live contentdistribution contract (pay or free) for contract clients with a livecontent provider, and the xDSL provider provides a distribution service(pay or free) to the contract clients.

[0056] Contract Form 3:

[0057] A business form in which an xDSL provider makes a live contentdistribution contract (pay or free) with a live content provider by apackage deal, and the xDSL provider provides a distribution service(free) to all clients.

[0058] Contract Form 4:

[0059] A business form in which a live content provider makes a livecontent distribution contract (pay or free) with an xDSL provider by apackage deal, and the live content provider provides a distributionservice (pay or free) to arbitrary contract clients.

[0060] Contract Form 5:

[0061] A business form in which a live content provider makes a livecontent distribution contract (pay or free) for contract clients with anxDSL provider, and the live content provider provides a distributionservice (pay or free) to the contract clients.

[0062] Contract Form 6:

[0063] A business form in which a live content provider makes a livecontent distribution contract (pay or free) with an xDSL provider by apackage deal, and the live content provider provides a distributionservice (free) to all clients.

[0064]FIGS. 8 and 9 show the live content data paths and contracts inthe above contract forms. FIG. 8 shows a form in which the principal ofthe contract is an xDSL provider, and the charge for live contentdistribution is paid to the xDSL provider. FIG. 9 shows a form in whichthe principal of the contract is a live content provider, and the chargefor live content distribution is paid to the live content provider.

[0065] The present invention has been described above on the basis ofthe preferred embodiments. The xDSL accommodation apparatus, multicastdistribution system, and data distribution method of the presentinvention are not limited to the above embodiments. An xDSLaccommodation apparatus, multicast distribution system, and datadistribution method for which various changes and modifications are madefor the above embodiments are also incorporated in the presentinvention.

[0066] As has been described above, according to the present invention,in stream distribution of a broadcast-type live content, thecopy/distribution function is implemented by the xDSL accommodationapparatus close to clients, thereby effectively utilizing the relayline.

[0067] In addition, when the proxy function is prepared together withthe copy/distribution function, the load on the content server and thetraffic load on the backbone side including the ATM switch section inthe xDSL accommodation apparatus can be reduced. Accordingly, the ISP(Internet Service Provider; especially live content provider) and xDSLprovider can reduce the capital investments for the content server andxDSL accommodation apparatus, respectively.

[0068] The functions and effects of the above-described presentinvention will be described in more detail.

[0069] In the xDSL accommodation apparatus and multicast distributionsystem of the present invention, a cache server function is prepared tocopy and distribute a received packet, and the same content isdistributed to a plurality of clients. Since the cache server functiontransmits a received packet to a plurality of clients, any wasteful useof the relay line for content distribution can be prevented.

[0070] In the xDSL accommodation apparatus and multicast distributionsystem of the present invention, a proxy function is prepared to executea proxy access request from a client to a content server. When proxyaccess is executed for the client, reception requests from a pluralityof clients to a single content server need not be transmitted. Hence,the network load on the content server side can be reduced.

[0071] In the xDSL accommodation apparatus and multicast distributionsystem of the present invention, an ID management table of contractclients is registered inside in advance, and clients for multicast areidentified on the basis of the management table. When the ID managementtable of the contract clients is prepared, access from a contract partyto a contract content server can be identified.

[0072] In the xDSL accommodation apparatus and multicast distributionsystem of the present invention, an address management table of contractcontent servers is registered inside in advance, and a content from acontent server is multicast-distributed to contract clients on the basisof the management table. When the address management table of thecontract content servers is prepared, distribution to the contractclients becomes possible.

[0073] In the xDSL accommodation apparatus and multicast distributionsystem of the present invention, a content received by connectionbetween a cache server function and a content server, which isestablished as a result of an access request from the first client, isdistributed to the second and subsequent clients upon receiving accessrequests to the same content server. Since the copy/distributionfunction and proxy access function are prepared, any wasteful use of therelay line for content distribution can be prevented.

[0074] In the xDSL accommodation apparatus and multicast distributionsystem of the present invention, a plurality of cache regions areprepared, and free cache regions are statically or dynamically assignedto packets received from a plurality of content servers. Since theplurality of cache regions are prepared, when a plurality of clients arereceiving contents from a plurality of content servers, the contents canbe efficiently copied and distributed.

[0075] In the xDSL accommodation apparatus and multicast distributionsystem of the present invention, when the number of address tables ofcontent servers is larger than the number of cache regions, free cacheregions are dynamically assigned. When the cache regions are dynamicallyassigned, the cache regions can be efficiently used, and contents can beefficiently copied and distributed.

What is claimed is:
 1. An xDSL accommodation apparatus comprising: anxDSL interface which interfaces an xDSL (any types of Digital SubscriberLine) to which each of a plurality of clients is connected; an exchangeswitch which exchanges a packet transmitted/received between a contentserver and a client; and a cache server which temporarily stores acontent received from the content server through a network, wherein saidcache server comprises copy/distribution means for copying anddistributing the stored content to distribute the same content to theplurality of clients.
 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein saidcache server further comprises proxy access means for rewriting atransmission source ID of the packet transmitted from one of theplurality of clients to said cache server and executing proxy accessrequest to the content server.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1,wherein said cache server further comprises an ID management table inwhich an ID of a contract client in the plurality of clients isregistered in advance, and said cache server identifies a client formulticast by looking up said ID management table.
 4. An apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein said cache server further comprises anaddress management table in which an address of a contract contentserver is registered in advance, and said cache servermulticast-distributes the content from the content server to contractclients on the basis of the address management table.
 5. An apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein said copy/distribution means distributesthe content stored as a result of an access request from a client to aclient of a request source at the time of access request to the samecontent server later.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein saidcache server has a plurality of cache regions and statically ordynamically assigns a free cache region to the packet received from thecontent server.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when thenumber of address tables of the content servers is larger than thenumber of cache regions, said cache server dynamically assigns the freecache region.
 8. A multicast distribution system comprising: a pluralityof clients; an xDSL accommodation apparatus to which each of saidplurality of clients is connected through an xDSL (any types of DigitalSubscriber Line), said xDSL accommodation apparatus comprising a cacheserver which temporarily stores a received content; and a content serverwhich transmits live content data to a client of a request sourcethrough a network and said xDSL accommodation apparatus in response to arequest from one of said plurality of clients, wherein said cache servercomprises copy/distribution means for copying and distributing thestored content, and a table in which a contract client to be subjectedto multicast distribution is registered in advance, saidcopy/distribution means transmits content data received from saidcontent server and stored to the contract client by looking up saidtable.
 9. A multicast distribution system comprising: a plurality ofclients; and an xDSL accommodation apparatus to which each of saidplurality of clients is connected through an xDSL (any types of DigitalSubscriber Line), said xDSL accommodation apparatus comprising a cacheserver which temporarily stores a received content, said systemtransmitting live content data to a client of a request source through anetwork and said xDSL accommodation apparatus in response to a requestfrom one of said plurality of clients, wherein said cache servercomprises copy/distribution means for copying and distributing thestored content to distribute the single content to said plurality ofclients, and proxy access means for rewriting a transmission source IDof a packet transmitted from one of said plurality of clients to saidcache server and executing proxy access request to a content server, andsaid copy/distribution means distributes the content stored as a resultof an access request from a client to the client of the request sourceat the time of access request to the same content server later.
 10. Amulticast distribution system comprising: a plurality of clients; and anxDSL accommodation apparatus to which each of said plurality of clientsis connected through an xDSL (any types of Digital Subscriber Line),said xDSL accommodation apparatus comprising a cache server whichtemporarily stores a received content, said system transmitting livecontent data to a client of a request source through a network and saidxDSL accommodation apparatus in response to a request from one of saidplurality of clients, wherein said cache server comprisescopy/distribution means for copying content data received from a contentserver and distributing the content to all of said plurality of clients.11. A data distribution method by an xDSL provider, comprising the stepsof: causing the xDSL provider and a live content provider to make a livecontent distribution contract; and providing a live content distributionservice based on a contract condition to an arbitrary contract client.12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the contract making stepcomprises the step of causing the xDSL provider and live contentprovider to make the live content distribution contract by a packagedeal.
 13. A method according to claim 11, wherein the contract makingstep comprises the step of causing the xDSL provider and live contentprovider to make the live content distribution contract for contractclients.
 14. A method according to claim 11, wherein the contract makingstep comprises the step of causing the xDSL provider and live contentprovider to make a pay or free live content distribution contract by apackage deal, and the service providing step comprises the step ofproviding a free distribution service to all clients.
 15. A methodaccording to claim 11, wherein the contract making step comprises thestep of causing the live content provider and xDSL provider to make thelive content distribution contract by a package deal, and the serviceproviding step comprises the step of providing a distribution service toan arbitrary client through the xDSL provider.
 16. A method according toclaim 11, wherein the contract making step comprises the step of causingthe live content provider and xDSL provider to make the live contentdistribution contract for contract clients, and the service providingstep comprises the step of providing a distribution service to thecontract clients through the xDSL provider.
 17. A method according toclaim 11, wherein the contract making step comprises the step of causingthe live content provider and xDSL provider to make a pay or free livecontent distribution contract by a package deal, and the serviceproviding step comprises the step of providing a distribution service toall clients through the xDSL provider.